Editorials

‘Bad Kid Fort’

Solutions needed for discipline issues

January 9, 2013

The recent incident at Parkersburg High School in which a student with Asperger’s Syndrome was placed in a “bad kid fort” as discipline for disruptive behavior in class certainly was not the best wa......

Comments

ketterj

Not surprised that WV would just throw special needs students in to the classroom without lots of training on how to manage them. Asperger's is on the Autism scale and those children vary WIDELY in behavior, learning needs, and social issues. Unfortunately it takes lots of training $ and extra staffing $ and specialists $$ to do this the right way. Don't see that happening here unless the special ed advocates step in to the mix with court cases. Watch what happens then. School costs will go way up. Hope the state of WV is ready. I am not against mainstreaming these children, it is good for us all. I just wish there were a way to do it without all the bad blood that can ensue.

MrSmith

Why is it surprising that the teachers have not had training of the type that you mention? There is barely any money to keep the doors of the schools open, no money is available for extracurricular activities like band and athletics, and teachers are underpaid. There simply is not any money to pay for this kind of training.

As ketterj noted, kids with autism vary wildly as to behavior patterns. I don't know this particular kid, but in general terms, these kids aren't moaning and crying or anything remotely distracting like that. They just tend to fidget, and can speak out of turn, disrupting the flow of the class.

MrSmith

Why is it surprising that the teachers have not had training of the type that you mention? There is barely any money to keep the doors of the schools open, no money is available for extracurricular activities like band and athletics, and teachers are underpaid. There simply is not any money to pay for this kind of training.

As ketterj noted, kids with autism vary wildly as to behavior patterns. I don't know this particular kid, but in general terms, these kids aren't moaning and crying or anything remotely distracting like that. They just tend to fidget, and can speak out of turn, disrupting the flow of the class.

poolgirl1218

Assuming this teacher graduated from an accredited university, and since this is a requirement for employment in WV, we can assume this teacher did, she received training in human growth and developement, basic psychology, and (here's the big one...) CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, so blaming her actions on her lack of training bears little weight. The article also states that dealing with the student in another manner or having someone else deal with it would have negelected the education of the other students. Um, how much of their educational time was neglected while this "fort" was constructed? Very poor choice of actions by someone who is supposed to be a "professional." Several seem to be blaming the child or his disability... what would have happened if she had done this to a "normal" child? Would you all still excuse her behavior then?

Jaymz50

bkhwv1

I am so tired of hearing that the Teachers need more training this is what you should of been taught as a child. No excuses for this. All this has become is a cry for more money, bull it won't help we just need to hold the school accountable for this.

ketterj

In some areas of the world teachers are required to have masters degrees and two years of internship before they can be full fledged teachers. These teachers also have salaries the equivalent of doctors and show the highest achieving students in the world. Don't assume that the meager (american college) 3 1/2 years of barely touching on the essentials of education and several weeks of student teaching will be all the training they need. Most of their education will be the practicum they get on the job. Funny how we require plumbers, electricians, doctors etc. to have extensive journeyman training and yet we just practice "sink or swim" with our kid's teachers. If most other professionals work very hard and become very good the sky is the limit for salary and benefits. Not so with a teacher. I am sure this teacher has learned from this experience and I am equally sure that we will probably never know the full story.

MadAsHeck

There was a PLAN in place. The teacher had that plan, if the teacher didn't understand the plan that's the teacher's fault. "More training" = more money, that's what it's all about, more tax payer money being thrown down the drain. Why down the drain? Because any idiot would tell you that it was a beyond a "bad decision" to build a "bad kid fort" around a student. Has it been reported that Pam Goots AFTER THE NEWS STORY BROKE, mass mailed all the teachers telling them it was a fine and dandy and that the kid was laughing and enjoying the harmless little "bad kid fort"? The coverup is often worse than the crime, Goots should be removed from her position at PHS. She and the teacher don't need "more training $$$$" they need to find a different career if they are not smart enough to know this was VERY WRONG.

9303qaz

Just a few famous people that fall under the Autism spectrum. William " Bill" Gates, Steven Speilburg, Albert Einstein, Amadeus Mozart, Daryl Hannah, James Durbin, Dan Aykroyd, Tim Page, And Matthew Laborteaux. There are many more. Those of you that think people with a disorder cannot succeed just ask Bill Gates.

Itsnottolate

We have 2 different issues here. The teacher who should know better and didn't follow protocol. Then you have the principal, Ms. Goots, who should know better. I say we give the teacher some additional training and a small suspension to get the teacher thinking correctly and give Ms. Goots a period on the end of her time at PHS. There have been so many times that Ms. Goots judgement has been skewed and she just does what ever she wants. Its time for her to go, your kid may be next.

Candy500

Everyone is quick to jump on the bandwagon that teachers and school officials are to blame every time a parent gets upset over the way his or her "precious darling" gets treated at school. Placing a three sided card board box around the desk of a disruptive child wanting to spit on the girl sitting next to him as well as wanting to strike another child in the classroom does not seem like such a bad idea. This child caused a disruption in the classroom and a little self humility and hands off punishment was the proper call. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The teacher did right. The parents of "precious" want money out of this as well as the loss of jobs. I believe the mother of "precious" facebooked that her autistic child has the same affliction as that of the shooter at Newtown, then get the kid out of PHS and send him to a private psych unit for him to be examined and counseled. I'm glad she warned the community of the d